Thursday, December 5, 2024

Odegaard and Rice start: Chelsea v Arsenal team news

Arsenal are in Premier League action this afternoon, taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Here are the official line-ups.

Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Lavia, Caicedo, Madueke, Palmer, Neto, Jackson

Subs: Jorgensen, Babiashile, Tosin, Veiga, James, Fernandez, Mudryk, Joao Felix, Nkunku

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz

Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Merino, Jesus, Trossard

Follow the game on the Arseblog live blog

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Shaolin

COYG!

Bleeding Gums Murphy

On reflection we played well at inter. I’m feeling positive today. Like the line up. Thank god Trossard is back on bench.

Johnny 4 Hats

We have to win. With city in an unprecedented bit of poor form, we just have to win. I doubt it’ll be pretty. We’re not in a great place and they have momentum. But I think we can nick something here.

And if we do, it’ll be game on again. I don’t believe for a second that Liverpool can keep this pace up. I still think our biggest rivals are city. So yeah. Three points will be absolutely massive today.

COYG!!!

And fucking mega lolz @ Spuds.

Dr. Gooner

I think we will do more than Nick.

Russ

I hope I’m right but I have a good feeling about today. Let’s get back to winning ways

K-Gooner

I have a good feeling about this game! Up the Arsenal! COYG!

Thierry Walcott

Our starting eleven for the first time in a while… get in!

Scott P

Hmm, very close, but I’d say maybe Calafiori over Timber at LB would give us our full starting 11. Either way, this is a very welcome change from the past few weeks! Let’s smash ’em!

Ebo

Long term that could end up being the case but I think for now Timber has generally shown himself to be our safest option defensively at LB. Unlike Calafiori he’s not going to get out paced, though he probably still have some room to improve his passing efficiency.

Ebo

Or has some room, as I have some room to improve my grammar efficency.

Ebo

To be clear I think Calafiori will probably learn to cope with his pace shortcomings and become more defensively solid and become our best LB, but it hasn’t been the case so far.

Dr. Gooner

In my ideal world I would play Calafiori most of the time and Tomiyasu against mutant inverted wingers like Salah, to match strong foot vs strong foot.

Dr. Gooner

Because I want Timber as my RB

Ebo

That sounds like a decent plan, if Tomi were ever fit. And hopefully Calafiori also won’t turn out to be another such perpetually injured player given his history…

Dada

And this is what people forget.

Berlingoon

This is, maybe with the exception of Calafiori and Merino (once he’s fully established himself in England), our strongest 11. Good timing. Let’s show em how we do when we’re gunning! 🔥 #COYG

ALBangBang

With the resurgence of Partey, as long as he stays fit (which is a big gamble) I don’t see Merino being in the first XI.

Berlingoon

I think neither Merino nor Partey will be long time solutions. But I hope Declan will be one, considering his age and price. Therefore it’s all about who, out of Partey and Merino, brings the best out of Rice. Personally I’d rather see Rice play as a holding 6 with Ødegaard and another rather offensive minded midfielder in front of him. And you can get him used to that role better behind Merino than in front of Partey.

Scrubbychubby

To be fair, even if Merino and Calafiori were fully fit/integrated then not sure they can get in in front of Timber and Partey on current form.

Dr. Gooner

If we ever have them all fit my belief is that our best pairing is Timber at RB and Calafiori at LB.

Bleeding Gums Murphy

I think there’s a bit of a myth around Merino. Somehow so many think he’s gonna be a starter. He doesn’t start for Spain. If Partey stays fit Merino doesn’t start for me.

chepetin

To be fair, that’s because Rodri is ahead of him

Dr. Gooner

It was Fabian Ruiz who was getting in ahead of him as the box to box guy. It was one of those two as the box to box plus one of Rodri or Zubimendi as the controller plus Olmo as creator or second striker. Lovely balance.

Bjorn

The best 11 will vary according to form.. I hope this is the best now. I trust Arteta. COYG!!

Teryima Adi

Let’s beat these guys. COYG!!!!

Scrubbychubby

Is that, dare I say it, our strongest 11?! Never thought I’d see the day!

TotsOfJack

These are the pressure games that we haven’t won enough of over the past 20 years or so. I believe in this team and this manager.

Unknown

Good starting 11. Now we just need Michael Oliver to swallow his whistle so we can have a good, clean game to get back to winning ways and get the winning spark back.

Paul

It’s one of those days where it could be great or sh1t. COYG!

Dr. Gooner

Our strongest lineup of the year?

I can see an argument for a big win today: They are a young team, full of talent but not matured as a cohesive unit, coming off a big win against lowly opposition against a better unit that has suffered a lot lately but is coming off our best second half of the season so far against the Italian champs at the San Siro… it’s all set up for one team being a little overconfident and naive while the other is a bruised veteran with a point to prove.

Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1.

Dr. Gooner

I can see a big win on tap today. Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1.

Ebo

not looking great so far, feel like they’ve been marginally the better team, pressing us really well and dangerous up front, and Neto managing to get White the yellow card with his utter twattiness makes me nervous.

Dr. Gooner

I’m disappointed in us. Could be so much more ferocious in that press. Just doing that soft press thing. Still winning that battle but it could be so much better. Also, just not committing to attacks, people not getting close enough to each other. It’s a malaise across the team. Need a goal so badly.

Barry

I wish the kick off time was mentioned, just handy to see

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

Sorry blogs but I’m so glad we didn’t buy that cheating prick Neto. Ben white’s booking on him sums up what’s wrong with premier league football.
Also, what happened to players getting booked if they surround the referee?

*sums up what’s wrong with 90% of Portuguese footballers
There, FIFY

Ebo

oh you mean the officiating, yes agreed. The referee didn’t even see it, he just gave a yellow card based on Neto falling down and the previous kerfuffle between him and White.

But definitely happy we didn’t get Neto or players of his ilk, nor do I think Arteta would even consider it, class is a prerequisite to playing for the Arsenal.

Daveod

I feel like I’m never gonna see an arsenal for the rest of my life 😂

Daveod

I died before martinelli scored

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

Problem is, we need to be at least 3 up in games to have any chance of beating the bias of referees and VAR as well as the cheating of our opponents like the chavs today.

morecoffeeman

You are right! I thought VAR was there for clear and obvious mistakes. So two clear corners we should have had… Nothing from VAR.

Vieiraera

Michael Oliver outperforming his usual anti-Arsenal self today to screw Arsenal 😌.

BelgianGooner

Michael Olivier really is the cuntest cunt of all time. He’s so cheap god.

Also, not convinced with Timber at LB. Think it doesn’t suit his qualities and also doesn’t help Martinelli at all who is left isolated against 2-3 players.

Bit disappointed with Havertz. Thought he would put more energy against a team which disrespected him that much.

Let’s hope we put the 2nd gear in the 2nd half !!

BelgianGooner

What is Gabriel waiting ffs
Neto is free 25 meters away from goal and he doesn’t move his ass

Ebo

it was Havertz’s assignment I think, Gabriel needs to stay back

BelgianGooner

Havertz was on Fernandez if I recall correctly then Timber is slightly late to react and Gabriel does not move at all which gives Neto all the freedom to shoot.

Rick_Sanchez

What happened to our mentality? Did City already break our heads the last 2 years?

Frank

Trossaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!!!!!!. How many points has Trossard singlehandedly cost us this season. He leaves that for Havertz and its a goal right at the death.

BelgianGooner

Isn’t Saliba offside before he crossed tho?

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